Knowledge mapping of ferroptosis in sarcoma: a bibliometric and bioinformatics analysis (2012-2023)

Sarcoma is a rare and heterogeneous group of malignant tumors originating from mesenchymal tissues, which presents significant challenges for diagnosis and treatment. Ferroptosis, a newly recognized form of iron-dependent cell death, is distinct from other cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and autophagy. Recent studies have shown that the induction of ferroptosis is an effective way to kill sarcoma cells and reduce their resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, highlighting the importance of understanding how ferroptosis may influence the biology and treatment of sarcomas.

In this study, we employed three main methods, namely CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the R package "bibliometrix", to analyze relevant literature. Publications related to ferroptosis and sarcoma in the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database (2012-2023) were included, and bioinformatics analyses were performed using R Studio and public databases.

The analysis revealed that research on sarcomas and ferroptosis has experienced a steady increase over the years, with a diverse range of research topics and collaborations established among researchers worldwide. The key findings include the identification of influential authors and institutions, prominent research clusters, and emerging research trends. The bioinformatics analysis results confirmed the significance of ferroptosis-related gene ACSF2 in different sarcomas. Notably, the scarcity of studies focusing on the relationship between sarcoma and ferroptosis has been observed, highlighting the potential for further exploration in this area.

The integration of bibliometrics and bioinformatics provides valuable insights into the research landscape of sarcoma and ferroptosis. Future research on ferroptosis will continue to focus on its mechanisms in sarcomas including immune microenvironment, while also further exploring its potential clinical applications. We have identified a potential ferroptosis-related gene, ACSF2, which shows associations with survival in sarcoma datasets. Further testing is needed to validate its potential as a prognostic biomarker.